Go and capture those thirty-six fierce villains.

The speaker was a veteran of the Tiger Roar Martial Arts School.

Seeing that Qin Ning's answer was written in a very formal and scholarly manner, they decided to earn a referral fee from him.

Qin Ning waited in the courtyard for a short while before the messenger returned.

"Brother, Senior Brother Zhang asked me to take some men over there to take a look."

The experienced man nodded and hummed in agreement through his nose, then led Qin Ning inside.

After passing through a courtyard, a large, open stone training ground came into view. This place looked much more professional than the outside, with stone locks of different sizes on the ground and ordinary swords and knives on the weapon racks on both sides.

Judging by their sharpness, they're all genuine.

At this moment, in the martial arts arena, the two are slashing at each other with their swords. Sparks fly as their swords clash, and they appear to be at least ninth-rank martial artists.

It seems this martial arts school has some real skills... Qin Ning raised an eyebrow under his bamboo hat.

At this moment, a young man dressed in a light yellow robe with a tiger's head embroidered on his chest walked over.

"So you want to become an apprentice and learn martial arts?"

Qin Ning nodded: "I have that idea, but I'd like to see your learning environment first."

The young man opened his mouth, but the words he had prepared got stuck in his throat.

This was the first time he had encountered someone coming to their Tiger Roar Martial Arts Academy to become an apprentice, and they wanted to check out the learning environment first.

Shouldn't we consider the teacher's skill level when learning martial arts?

"...Okay, but let me tell you first, our Tiger Roar Martial Arts School isn't cheap. You'd better hear the prices first to avoid wasting time later."

Upon hearing this for the second time, Qin Ning blinked and said, "Please inform me."

"Those outside, the teacher gives lessons once a month, and we fellow disciples teach them on other days depending on our mood. It costs 15 taels of silver per month, and you have to pay extra if you want herbal decoctions." The young man pointed behind Qin Ning and then tapped the ground. "Here, the teacher gives lessons every three days, and the basic herbal decoctions are unlimited, as long as you can drink them, but it costs 150 taels of silver a month!"

Two teaching modes, ten times the price difference... After listening, Qin Ning stood there for a moment in thought, then suddenly realized what was going on.

Didn't he just say that after paying 150 taels of silver, the basic herbal medicine would be supplied in unlimited quantities?

I'm currently worried about not having enough money to buy pills to supply [Greedy].

I never expected that investigating a minor crime would lead to such an unexpected discovery!

Qin Ning raised her voice by two decibels: "Okay, I can afford 150 taels, but after seeing the learning environment, I'd like to check the quality of the herbal medicine you supply."

The young man scratched his head, about to say something, when he saw the mysterious man in front of him wearing a bamboo hat take out two hundred-tael silver notes from his pocket, and he swallowed back the words that were on his throat.

"Okay, I'll show you around."

It took the two of them a full quarter of an hour to walk around the Tiger Roar Martial Arts School from front to back.

Qin Ning was basically certain that the little evil creature was in one of the three tiled houses in the backyard of the martial arts school.

According to the young man, that was the residence of the owner of Tiger Roar Martial Arts School and his wife and children.

Because there were women present, and the place had absolutely nothing to do with martial arts practice, Qin Ning couldn't find a reason to get too close to investigate.

The two arrived at the kitchen as their last stop. Before even entering, Qin Ning could smell a strong medicinal aroma through her straw hat.

Through the black gauze, he saw three pottery jars on the kitchen stove, the largest of which was about half a person's height.

The remaining two are about the length of a forearm and the size of a regular earthenware urn.

In front of the stove, a young waiter with his face covered in soot saw the two of them and quickly got up to greet them.

"Senior Brother Zhang...and this is..."

"Those who have come to become apprentices, keep an eye on the heat." The young man replied, walking to the large urn that was half a person's height. "This is the basic medicinal soup. If any disciples of our Tiger Roar Sect want to drink the contents of the other two urns, they will need to pay extra silver."

Qin Ning ignored the separately charged items and focused her attention on the "buffet," swallowing hard.

"Could I try this basic herbal decoction?"

youth:"???"

"I can buy it with silver, but of course, if I ultimately decide to pay to learn martial arts, you must return the silver to me."

With only 265 taels left, Qin Ning carefully calculated.

After hesitating for a long time, the young man finally agreed to the proposal.

There's no other reason than that if this strange man in front of him can really become his apprentice, and it's his introduction, then next month's tuition will be reduced by 30 taels, enough for him to buy a bowl of herbal soup in Xiao Weng's house.

"Alright, little monkey, get him a bowl of body-strengthening soup."

The young man gave the instructions.

A moment later, a still-warm rough earthenware bowl was handed to Qin Ning. The liquid inside was pale blue and had a strong medicinal fragrance.

It smells somewhat similar to the Blood-Activating Pill... Qin Ning muttered to himself.

As the saying goes, "Experience makes one a doctor," and "Eating too much good food can make you a half-cook."

Having consumed many of these pills, he had come to be able to discern the flavors of herbs to some extent.

Qin Ning turned around, lifted the bamboo hat on his forehead with one hand, pressed down the cat that was trying to peek out with the other, and drank the pale blue medicine in the bowl in one gulp.

In an instant, the medicinal effects dissipated, and a faint feeling of heat began to circulate through his meridians.

However, before the medicine could show its true effects, it was completely absorbed by the black vortex that appeared in the dantian.

A moment later, Qin Ning felt the strange power emanating from [Gluttony] and nodded silently in his heart.

He should be able to recoup his cost from this buffet in three days!

Pay the money, sign, and put your fingerprint on the document.

This kind of martial arts school is different from a formal apprenticeship. As long as you pay money, you can learn. In essence, it is a commercial activity and is even subject to the supervision of the tax bureau.

Therefore, there is no such ritual as three bows and nine kowtows.

When Qin Ning signed the document, he didn't even see the face of the Tiger Roar Martial Arts School's master. It was said that the master had gone out to watch the excitement and hadn't returned yet. It was his master's wife, who looked to be in her forties or fifties, who signed on his behalf.

This transaction is straightforward and clear, but it also has some drawbacks.

Even the master in a martial arts school will often keep a trick or two hidden. Unless you are truly considered his last disciple, what you learn will definitely be incomplete.

After carefully putting away the meal ticket, or contract, for the next month, Qin Ning turned and left.

......

As night fell, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

The backyard of the clinic.

Qin Ning sat cross-legged under the crooked locust tree, opened the brocade box in front of him, and swallowed the last Gold-Melting Qi-Condensing Pill.

The little black cat obediently lay down beside him, covering its yellow and blue eyes with its eyelids.

The medicinal power flowed down through his limbs and bones, converging into his dantian and sea of ​​qi. Qin Ning methodically practiced the Taoist techniques he remembered.

Until that last, incomplete touch of purple was silently filled in.

hum!

The black booklet in his mind trembled, and a large amount of information poured out, which Qin Ning absorbed one by one.

Eighth-Rank Self-Refining, also known as Foundation Building... uses oneself as a furnace to refine the life essence and replenish what is lacking innately... True Qi transforms into innate primordial Qi, the Ren and Du meridians are unblocked, the Small Heavenly Circuit is formed, and life is endless... Lightning-Attracting Talisman... Plague-Suppressing Talisman... Five Sacred Mountains True Form Talisman...

New thunder magic, new Taoist arts, new talisman drawing techniques, a new realm...

Qin Ning was like a long-dried sponge that had finally fallen into a clear spring, and began to absorb and digest everything frantically and greedily.

He only slowly opened his eyes when the full moon passed its zenith, a faint purple glint flashing in his dark, bright pupils.

The illusory image of the golden furnace appeared briefly on the body's surface before disappearing into the darkness.